


Maybe, Baby, We Could Have New Year's Day

by raimykeller



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Getting Back Together, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, alternative universe, high school sweethearts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 11:24:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8842843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raimykeller/pseuds/raimykeller
Summary: As Stiles thinks about his life over the past five years he's been away from his hometown, he can't help but hope for a future with the boy he had left in his past. [AKA Former high school sweethearts get a second chance.]





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song "Maybe Baby (New Year's Day)" by Sugarland. 
> 
> A million thanks to my friend, beta and cheerleader, quizasvivamos!

Stiles was nostalgic. The streets of downtown Beacon Hills were dressed up in week-old holiday decorations, and a thin layer of snow lay on the ground. It was December 30th; Stiles had completely missed Christmas, thanks to a snowstorm of epic proportions that hit the east coast the day before he was supposed to fly out. But as soon as he touched down in California, he sent a very important message and made plans to meet them at Jitters that afternoon.

 

It had been 5 years since he had walked the route to his favorite coffee shop; the last time was the summer after his senior year of high school, Stiles remembered fondly. 

 

He had coffee there with Derek one last time before he flew to NYC to start his freshman year at Columbia. They had already broken up, amicably, at least, though it wasn’t without heartache. They had been together for two years, and friends ever since Derek and his family moved to Stiles’ neighborhood in fourth grade. Derek had fit right into Stiles’ life from the very beginning. It was only natural when they started dating sophomore year. Nothing really changed in their relationship, well, besides the kissing.

 

Stiles felt blush heat up his cheeks remembering they way Derek’s lips felt on his. And Derek had been the first person he had ever let take him apart at the seams, in more ways than one. They loved hard, but by the time senior year rolled around, they both knew the clock was ticking. 

 

Stiles was determined to get into the biomedical sciences program at Columbia University, and Derek had a baseball scholarship to USC. 

 

They were going in different directions. Such was life. They did keep in touch for the first year they were apart. Then Stiles got a huge work-study opportunity, and he had no idea that it would keep him in New York for the next five years. They didn’t fall out of touch on purpose, but they both got busier and busier, and it just kind of happened. 

 

He loved every second that it took to get his masters in forensic science, but sometimes he worried if he had burned bridges rather than temporarily stopped using them. 

 

Now, he had the chance to fix them, because he was back in Beacon Hills for good. He had a fancy new job in neighboring Alameda County, he had already sent all of his belongings to his dad’s house, and he had plans to begin apartment hunting as soon as he got settled back in. His dad knew, of course, but he hadn’t said anything to Derek yet, or any of his other old friends who still happened to be around. 

 

\-----

 

Stiles arrived at the coffee shop and immediately forgot how to breathe. There was Derek, in all his twenty-something glory, sporting an impressive five-o’clock shadow and wearing the shit out of his signature henley. He had his glasses on, the ones he used to only wear in the evenings when he took his contacts out and had his head thrown back in laughter over something the barista said. 

 

He had never looked more beautiful.

 

Then the bottom dropped out of Stiles’ stomach, and he immediately ran back around the corner before anyone spotted him through the window. He had to steady himself, not get his hopes up. For all he knew, Derek could be taken, after all these years, surely someone had locked that down! Facebook stalking hadn’t given him much to go on, Derek rarely posted anything on it, much less a relationship status. Stiles breathed out and checked his watch. It was two minutes 'til when he told Derek he would meet him. 

 

He could do this. Steeling himself, he pushed open the door.

 

“Stiles Stilinski, as I live and breathe.”

 

Stiles grinned at Derek, “it’s been way too long, man.” 

 

Derek stood as Stiles approached the table, wrapping him up in the warmest hug Stiles had ever felt. Stiles inhaled the rich scent of Derek, that hadn't actually changed at all, same cologne, same detergent, same Derek; yeah, he was home.

 

“I got you your old order, a peppermint mocha. I hope you still like them,” Derek said shyly, and Stiles’ smile got even wider.

 

“You remembered!”

 

Derek laughed, “Of course I remember. And, hey,” he raised his own mug, “welcome home.” 

 

Stiles clinked their cups together. “To new beginnings,” he declared, and Derek echoed his sentiment.

 

The conversation that followed flowed easily, and it was almost as if they had never lost touch. Almost.

 

Derek brought him up-to-speed on his own life; he was now the English teacher and baseball coach at Beacon Hills High, as well as volunteer librarian (and really, Stiles shouldn’t have found that as attractive as he did). They had been chatting for nearly an hour and a half before Stiles had worked up the courage to ask about his dating life. 

 

“There were plenty of dates in college, a girlfriend sophomore year, but that only lasted a few months. Then I was seeing this guy for about a year, up until we graduated from college. But I guess he felt I wasn’t as serious about him as he was about me, and he dumped me.”

 

“Were you, though?” Stiles asked.

 

Derek studied the pattern on his coffee mug for a few seconds before looking up at Stiles. “No,” he shook his head slowly. “No one has been serious for me, not since you.”

 

Stiles let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and reached out tentatively, placing his hand on Derek’s and letting his thumb brush the soft skin of his knuckles.

 

“Same for me, by the way,” Stiles laughed. “You ruined all guys for me.” 

 

Derek blushed and turned his hand over so Stiles could fit their palms together. “Is it weird that I feel like we are picking up right where we left off? Like the world kept turning and our lives kept moving forward, but the way you make my heart skip a beat every time you smile hasn’t changed a bit.”

 

“Fuck, Derek, how do you just say something like that and not expect me to drop my pants right here in Jitters!?”

 

Derek threw his head back and laughed loud enough for the table across the shop to turn and look at them. “Never change, Stiles Stilinski, never change.”

 

They were both quiet for a moment, grinning at each other, hands still entwined.

 

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Derek asked. “Will you be my date to Lydia’s New Year’s Eve party?”

 

“There is nothing I would love more,” Stiles replied. “But I will have to meet you there. Since I missed Christmas with my family, Dad and I are driving up to see my grandparents for the day. I’ll make sure I’m back before midnight, though. I promise.”

 

Derek’s answering grin was resplendent, and Stiles felt his stomach flip at the sight. He couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

 

\-----

 

Stiles cursed the traffic for the millionth time since they’d been on the road. Apparently, everyone had forgotten how to drive with snow on the ground. 

 

“Son, cursing won’t make anyone go any faster. Calm down, there’s still two hours until midnight. We’ll get you to Lydia’s on time.”

 

“Dad, do you understand what tonight could mean for me?! It’s Derek, Dad, you know I’m still in love with him. I have to kiss him at midnight! Can’t you put your siren on and drive down the shoulder? It’s totally justified. I will die if I don’t get my man tonight!”

 

His father glared instead of answering, but it told Stiles exactly how he felt about this conversation. He sighed loudly and slumped against the seat. Then he felt his dad’s hand squeeze his shoulder.

 

“You’ll get him, Stiles. Don’t you worry about that. The boy’s been asking after you for the past year. He’s just as hung up on you as you are on him.”

 

They pulled up at the Martin house with only minutes to spare. 

 

“Thanks, dad, for everything.” 

 

“Go get him, Stiles.”

 

Stiles flew through Lydia’s front door and up the stairs. He could hear the laughter and music coming from the room at the end of the hall, where he knew everyone was waiting for the ball to drop. When he finally burst through the door, it was dark; the only light came from the flat screen everyone had gathered around.

 

He didn't recognize anyone. There had to be at least fifty people in the room; of course, he wouldn't expect any less at a Lydia Martin party. 

 

No one had noticed his entrance, and he flailed around looking for the one face he never wanted to go more than a few days without seeing ever again. 

 

Throwing himself into the throng of partiers, Stiles had to get way up in everyone's personal space to recognize that they weren't who he was looking for. That got him plenty of dirty looks, which he definitely ignored. He should have just thrown the light on when he got there, he thought belatedly. 

 

The countdown from ten had already begun when he bumped into Scott.

 

“Dude, where’s Derek!? He said he’d be here!”

 

“I think I saw him in that corner,” Scott yelled over the noise, gesturing vaguely to the right. Before Stiles could take off, he grabbed his arm. “You’re staying for real, right?”

 

“Yeah, Scotty. I’m staying for real.”

 

Five seconds. He had five seconds to find-

 

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he was gently pulled out of the crowd. 

 

-Derek. 

 

“You look like you’re looking for someone to kiss you.”

 

Stiles exhaled a sigh of relief. “God, I’ve missed you.” 

 

The cheers of Happy New Years rang out around them, but all he knew was Derek’s strong hands framing his face and pulling him into a deep, spine-tingling kiss - the first of many to come that year, and for the rest of their lives.


End file.
